Editor: Amy Gwaltney Asst. Editor: Dan Lobdell breezesports@gmail.com (540) 568-6709
Games And Grades JMU’s athletes have been working up a sweat on and off the field. The National Collegiate Athletic Association has recognized seven JMU teams for outstanding academic achievement. The teams recognized are women’s cross country, women’s golf, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, women’s indoor track and field, women’s outdoor track and field and women’s volleyball. The recognition was based on the Multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores. Teams that were in the top 10 percent APR of their respective sports were recognized. Each student athlete can earn two points per year. One point is earned for being academically eligible (above a 2.0 GPA). Another is earned if the student-athlete returns to the university as a full time student the following academic year. An additional two points are earned if the student-athlete graduates. The APR is calculated by taking all points earned by each student athlete over the past two years and dividing that number by the total possible points that could have been earned. That results in a decimal that is then multiplied by 1,000. JMU has the most teams recognized in the 12-team Colonial Athletic Association. Coaches agree that while they encourage academic success, the responsibility of managing time and doing well in school falls on the student athletes. “We place the responsibility on the student athletes and they know the expectations and they live up to them,” said Bill Walton, director of Cross Country and Track. Academic achievement is a big part of the student athlete experience at JMU. “Our feeling is that you can have it both ways,” Walton said. “You can do well academically and you can do well athletically and I think this is just a conformation of that belief.” — Staff Reports
SPORTS ‘Leave It All On the Field’ n ON THE WEB: Video interview with Rodney Landers about camp
Thursday, April 30, 2009
www.breezejmu.org
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AMY GWALTNEY/The Breeze
Landers was named the JMU male athlete of the year and the Division I player of the year in Virginia during the 2008 season. He finished his JMU career with 3,477 rushing yards and 35 touchdown passes. ROBERT BOAG/file photo
Rodney Landers is en route to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rookie-camp By AMY GWALTNEY The Breeze
Summer is practically here and four JMU dukes will be headed to camp, the National Football League’s rookie minicamp that is. Talk of a prospective career in the NFL for senior quarterback Rodney Landers has been debated all offseason. The 2009 NFL Draft was held Saturday and Sunday, but the 6-foot-1, 220-pounder wasn’t called. “It was a rollercoaster obviously, just ’cause you know you go from the highs and you go down to the lows,” Landers said. “Got a lot of phone calls from different teams and here I am I get to explore the free agent market as well, which is probably better because I get to find a position that will suit me more.” Though he was not drafted, Landers has been invited to mini-camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to try out for the quarterback position.
Due to Landers’ rushing ability — he amassed 1,770 yards in the fall — he is willing to try his place at different positions. At the Pro Day in early April, he participated in position drills as a running back, defensive back and wide receiver. Landers, as well as his agent, hope this versatility will help him get picked up by a team. “Obviously when I’m down there, I’m gonna show them I’m more valuable in doing a lot of things,” Landers said. “I’m such an unselfish player that I just wanna get on the field, make plays and contribute.” Landers’ agent, David Sullivan, said he has also talked to the St. Louis Rams, Chicago Bears and New York Giants about Rodney. But, at this point, Tampa Bay is the best choice for Landers. “It’s the best option now for him right now because of the roster make-up and the plans they have for Rodney going into mini-camp,” Sullivan said. See FOOTBALL, page 15
Townsend Takes Charge
The junior outfielder has put together the best season of his JMU career, but missed the majority of the past two seasons due to injuries By DAN LOBDELL The Breeze
PAUL JONES/file photo
Junior Matt Townsend batted .426 with 58 hits during his 34-game hitting streak that lasted 49 days.
Matt Townsend’s redshirt junior season has featured one of the most impressive streaks in JMU history. Starting March 7, the right fielder began a consecutive games hitting streak that would reach 34 games, tying the record set by Mark Brockell in 1988. “It’s sad to see the streak end,” sophomore Trevor Knight said. “But if you noticed, he’s already started up a new streak. So he took a break that one game and he’s right back in it now.” 1988 also happens to be the year the Hayfield graduate began playing the game he loves. “It’s been part of my life, pretty much my whole life,” Townsend said. “I just enjoyed it all playing up, having fun and stuff. I just got real competitive and now carried it into college.”
His numbers this year are staggering, considering what little playing time he received his first three years on campus. But, then again, the 5-foot-9 native of Lorton has always been a slow starter. “Well to be honest, I never even hit a home run until my sophomore year of high school,” Townsend said. “I didn’t know it was gonna take that long to hit one. But once I hit the first one, they kinda started coming a little bit.” He would not have to wait quite as long to hit his first homer at Madison, as his first career homer came in an 11-6 win over Georgia State his freshman year. Still, he had hit only seven in his collegiate career coming into 2009. That would change, however, as he is now second in the Colonial Athletic Association in homers this season with 16. Only George Mason senior Scott Krieger stands above him with 17. Unlike Townsend, Krieger has always displayed
those numbers in his college career, hitting 49 heading into this year. As a player, Townsend’s big break came at a tournament his sophomore year of high school, after which several National Collegiate Athletic Association coaches displayed interest. “I always had confidence in myself,” he said. “Coaches really can’t talk to you until July 1, and I got a couple calls that year right on July 1. Madison actually didn’t start talking to me until a little bit later on that summer and I came down here, took a visit and I loved it. I committed right away.” The junior’s career as a hitter almost never got off the ground, as he was a more successful pitcher in high school, when games are only seven innings long. “My best high school memory was See TOWNSEND, page 15
LONG FIELD/MAUCK STADIUM: The Final Year
EVAN MCGREW/The Breeze
n Long Field was built in 1974, Mauck Stadium was completed in 1978 n 36 seasons
n 692-236-4 all-time record with three games remaining n 74.5 winning percentage
n Last home game: JMU vs. George Mason 1 p.m., May 16
n The Memorial Hall Baseball/ Softball complex is scheduled to be completed Oct. 30, 2009